Then and Now is a podcast project with an introductory global history and culture course at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The podcast title reflects the connections between events that happened back then to events now.Since this is a group project, many student voices are heard on the 15 to 30 minute episodes. Topics include connection of today's newspaper headlines with the past, review of textbook chapters, study strategies, interviews with community people related to a topic in history, and music from independent music artists. Every show features some of the best independent music artists whose lyrics often relate to the episode's history topic. Sometimes we also feature special music shows that showcase music from a particular country and relate how it reflects the nation's culture. Share comments by sending email to arendale@umn.edu

February 24, 2007

(S1.E14.) Season One Summary

Season One Podcast Summary. Thanks for listening to the first season of Then and Now.The episode will be automatically downloaded to your computer if you already have subscribed to the Then and Now podcast. To immediately download the file, click on the following web link, Download file

It has been an adventure producing the podcast through the efforts of the students in the class and the teaching assistants who I have the opportunity to work with. On this podcast I identify some of the lessons that I have learned through the production of the podcast. Brian shares some final study strategies to consider for this and other classes. We also preview the second season for the podcast which will feature commentary by Brian and myslef making links between today's headlines and historical events that influence them. One other note. The theme music for the podcast has been kindly provided by Derek K. Miller who provides music for use by podcasters. The name of the sone is "Cold Cloth" and is played in its entirety at the end fo the podcast. I encourage you to visit his website, http://www.penmachine.com

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

December 16, 2006

(S1.E10.) Chapter 28: Africa and the Middle East Since World War Two

Africa and the Middle East Today. Greetings. Welcome to another episode of the podcast. This episode focuses on events impacting Africa and the Middle East since the end of World War II. To limmediately download the file, click on the following liknk Download file If you are already subscribed to the podcast through iTunes, it should automatically arrive soon.

Africa and the Middle East Since World War Two. Both Africa and the Middle East have emerged from the shadow of colonialism in the twentieth century with great potential for carving their own successful futures. Both regions have, however, been beset with problems that have prevented them from reaching their destinies. These problems are in part caused by the affects of colonialism. In Africa, arbitrary boundaries imposed from outside have exacerbated ethnic divisions and have led to violent struggles. Also, most African nations were ill-prepared for independence and have struggled with inexperience and limited economies. Lack of infrastructure, overpopulation, long term drought, famine and disease plague modern Africa. In the Middle East vast oil reserves promise prosperity to some but also bring unwanted outside influence. Most Middle Easterners struggle with their identities – nationalism versus Islam. Within Islam there is not agreement on the extent of religious involvement in politics and society, and many residents of the area still resent the imposition and dominance of Western culture during colonialism. Middle Easterners defied colonial rulers by remaining true to their faith, which became a symbol of their identity and pride. With the concern over the declining morals of contemporary society, fundamentalism has become a strong counter in many Middle Eastern societies – much like the rise of religion in Western culture. The region is also part of an ongoing struggle between Arabs and Israelis (another vestige of imperialism), and the failure to successfully settle the issue creates ongoing tensions that usually erupt in violence.

Following is information about the music played on this podcast that was selected by one of the students in the course. Nic selected the rock band Atomsplit which he discovered through the podsafemusicnetwork. The band has been featured on SM radio, MTV's reality shows, and other college radio stations. Click on the following link to visit their website, http://www.atomsplit.com

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

December 11, 2006

(S1.E8.) Chapter 25: The Cold War

The Cold War Following WWII. Greetings. This week's episode focuses on the Cold War time period between the end of World War II and the late 1980s. It was a dramatic time of confrontation between the United States and the other democracies and the Soviet Union, Chinca, and other communists societies. Click on the following link to download the episode Download file If you have already subscribed to the Then and Now Podcast, it will be automatically downloaded to your computer through the iTunes software.

In the Grip of the Cold War: The Breakdown of the Yalta System. As World War II drew to a close, another and potentially more devastating conflict began. A struggle for supremacy ignited between the world's two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The struggle began in Europe, splitting the continent into two armed camps. Their ideological split soon spread around the world, however, and pulled both nations into local conflicts. This Cold War struggle dominated both nations' foreign policy and sucked them into regional conflicts such as Korea and Vietnam. A prolific nuclear arms race also ensued. By the 1980s China added a third side to the conflict, and the U.S. and China developed diplomatic relations. The Soviets and Americans continued to compete for world influence through economics, but the threat of military conflict slipped away.

This week's episode also features music selctions by two students enrolled int he history course. Robert selected Take Control and What You Want by Audio Spaghetti. Inna selectied Medication and Imagenery Friend from Anthony Hugh. Both artists are available through the podsafemusicnetwork.

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

November 22, 2006

(S1.E6.) Chapter 24: World War Two

World War Two. Greetings. This week's episode is focused on World War II. You can download the episode and listen to it through the iTunes software by clicking on the following link. Download file As we discussed in class, chapter 24 is closely connected with World War I in chpater 22 and chpater 23 which looks at the connections between WWI and WWII

The crisis deepens: World War Two. The peace that had ended World War I left both Germany and Japan dissatisfied; they resented the favorable economic position gained by their rivals, primarily Britain, France and the United States. Germany and Japan were willing to risk another war to improve their economic fortunes and gain power. Democratic governments in both nations soon succumbed to the more powerful militant forces. In Europe Hitler unleashed the force of a revitalized Germany against her neighbors – determined to gain living space, resources and markets that would cement Germany's position as the dominant European, if not world, power. In Asia, Japan attempted to take advantage of internal Chinese turmoil to seize mastery of the Far East. Japanese aggression also brought her into conflict with the United States. World War II is the most destructive war in human history, both in terms of human loss and property destruction. A new level of political and military ruthlessness and cruelty had been born; over fifty million people worldwide lost their lives and many nations lay in rubble. The consequences of the conflict changed the world. The old European balance of power had been eliminated; instead two superpowers had been born from the conflict. The superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, soon were at odds over the future of the postwar world, and they entered into a Cold War. While Europe, as well as Japan would recover, European hegemony in the world had been eliminated.

Check these sites out if you want to learn more about the topics
To learn more about the invasion of Normandy, visit http://search.eb.com/normandy/For more on the Marshall Plan and the aftermath of World War II, visit http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/To visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on line, visit http://www.ushmm.org/
Erik our tech TA has added a nice feature to the podcast. It is now divided into "chapters" which you can choose either through the "chapters" drop down menu at the top of the screen within the iTunes software player or the controls on your iPod. You can easily skip ahead or quickly return back to an early section of the podcast. Listen carefully to his tech tip in this episode to discover how to do this. I believe that this feature is only available if you have downloaded version 7 of the free iTunes software.

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

November 19, 2006

(S1.E5.) Chapter 23, History Between WWI and WWII

Between World War One and Two. Greetings. This week the episode focuses on the time period between World War I and World War II. You can download the episode by clicking on the following link. Download file If you have iTunes software already installed on your computer, it will automatically turn on the iTunes software and you can listen to the show.

Nationalism, revolution, & dictatorships: Africa, Asian, Latin America 1919-1934. With the destruction of World War I, European hegemony over the world weakened. This weakening sparked social and political disruptions around the world and fed growing nationalism. China stumbled towards the creation of a modern nation-state, but was divided between two views – Nationalists and Communists. While the Nationalists gained the upper hand prior to World War II, the two groups had to work together to fight their common enemies, and the worldwide depression nixed efforts to create an industrialized economy. In Latin America economic weakness and the dependence of many nations upon foreign investments, particularly from the United States, fed growing militant nationalism. Authoritarian governments rose to the power in several nations in an effort to force economic reform. The dismantling of the old Ottoman Empire changed the map of the Middle East as well. A smaller, secularized Turkey was born, as well as the states of Saudi Arabia and Palestine. Throughout Africa and Asia, nationalist movements gained momentum. In India, Gandhi's nonviolent protests helped weaken British control. In other areas of Asia communist-led movements attempted more radical means of throwing off the colonial yoke. In Japan, the path to modernization and acceptance as a world power continued although with increasingly militant tones.

Check these sites out if you want to learn more about the topics
To learn more about Mohandas Gandhi, visit http://www.mahatma.org.in
To learn more about Palestine, visit http://www.palestine-net.com/
To view the work of Diego Rivera, visit http://www.diegorivera.com/
This week we have the opportunity to showcase some of our female students through their chapter overviews and selections of great music. This episode's music comes from the musical artist D Minor. Dawn has chosen this episode's music. Following is her comments. " I chose of one of the most talented artists in the podcast. He goes by the name if D Minor. He is an neo soul and R&B artist whom his influences are Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. The two songs that I heard was cool conversation and could you be part 2. As listening to these songs I felt a conncetion right away because I already love R&B music and just hearing his smooth voice, and it is very soothing. I had a hard time picking a genre because there is just so many that I listen to. I finally just settled on R&B because I thought that you could never go wrong. D Minor has been singing since he was little, so this is like a dream for him. If you want to know more about D Minor and his music, his website is www.D Minor.net. The music is great! and if you listen I will guarantee you will enjoy!" The artist's web page is http://dminor.net

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

November 13, 2006

(S1.E3.) Chapter 22, WWI and Communist Revolution

World War One and the Communist Revolution. Greetings. Welcome to a review of Chapter 22 that focused on World War I and the Communist Revolution. You can listen to the podcast through subscribing to it through iTunes. Use the search words "Arendale" or "Then and Now" to locate the podcast. Then click on the "subscribe" button when the podcast page appears. The other method is to click on the following link Download file and you can directly download the file to your computer and listen to it there.

The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War & Revolution. The Age of Progress, as the period from 1870-1914 had been called, lulled the people of Europe into believing that mankind had evolved to the brink of ultimate happiness, security, wealth and peace. Within this period had also developed, however, rising militant nationalism, secret alliances, and a massive arms race. The slaughter and destruction of the First World War shattered the illusions of Europeans and the world. This was the first total war, which engulfed the resources and populations of entire nations, and the war ushered in the idea of strong central governments that restricted civil liberties in the name of national security. The doubts and uncertainties revealed by the war also gave rise to revolutionary changes in Russia and the Middle East. The peace that followed proved a failure and served more as a temporary lull in the fighting. Economic catastrophe led to the rise of totalitarian governments and then a second world war. In addition, Europe lost its power to control world affairs; colonial peoples no longer looked to Europe to provide leadership.

Jason selected several songs for my podcast. They are Mince Meat and Sofa King by DANGERDOOM. Their record label they work under is Epitaph records. Artist named Danger Mouse and MF DOOM brought this album, The Mouse and the Mask, together thus creating DANGERDOOM. Cartoons played on adult swim that is played on the Cartoon Network late at night inspired this album. Some of the cartoons that inspired this album are Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman, Attourney at Law. The reason why I chose these songs is because, like we learned in class the media, TV shows, and music have a big affect on society these days. Like the lecture in class we had naming shows that played a long time ago to present day shows, these artist were inspired and affected by what they saw on TV and in this case, these cartoons, to make their music, thus creating another type of entertainment that has a high affect on society. Web Site: http://epitaph.com/artists/artist/197/

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

November 9, 2006

(S1.E2.) Learning Strategy and Technology Tips

Learning and Technology Tips. Greetings. Click on the following web link to listen to a short ten minute audio file that Brian and Erik created for you. The file provides provides some suggestions for preparing for the exam and getting more familiar with computer technology. Here is another copy of the same file. Just click on the link and the audio file should begin to play authomatically. If you have the free iTunes software installed on your computer (available at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/). It is a large file (over 4 megabytes), so it will be best if you are on a computer that is connected to a LAN, broadband, cable modem connection. If you are trying to listen to the file through the free telephone dialup modem, it may take a long time.

The file will automatically begin playing after it is downloaded. You have a choice to "open" it immediately, or "save" it to your harddrive. I suggest that you just open the file and not clutter up your harddrive wilth this large file. If you don’t have iTunes, hopefully another media player on your computer will open the file and begin to play it. The file is only about 10 minutes long. I highly recommend it. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/arend011/pstl1251/InfoCast.m4aDownload file

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team

November 8, 2006

(S1.E1.) Then and Now Podcast Overview

Podcast Introduction. Welcome to the first episode in the podcast series. Our weekly pocast focuses on understanding material in an introduction to world history course. Each podcast will feature voices of the course instructor, teaching assistant, technology assistant, and students enrolled in the class. Each episode will feature review of textbook chapters, commentary by students, and music selections by the students. Some episodes will feature one or two songs from an intedpendent music artist. Some episodes will be completely devoted to independent music from a particular country that we are studying in the class. Please join us as we explore world history since 1500.

You can obtain a free subscription to the podcast by subscribing to it through the iTunes service. In the search engine window, type "Then and Now" and then press the "subscribe" botton. That's it. Each show will automiatically be downloaded to your iTunes player on the computer. You can also click on the following link to listen to it through your computer media player, Download file The theme music at the beginning and close of each episode is provided by Derek K. Miller. The selection is "Cold Cloth" and was obtained from his website, http://www.penmachine.com

Please share feedback about the shows through any of the following methods:
1. post a comment to this blog page
2. send an email message to arendale@umn.edu
3. leave an audio comment on our listener feedback line at 206-333-1261

Take care,
David Arendale and the rest of the Then and Now Podcast Team